NUI BA DEN - Soldiers of the 25th Infantry
Division recently killed six enemy during a clash near the base of The Black
Virgin Mountain in Tay Ninh Province.
The 3rd Platoon of Alfa Company, 4th Battalion (Mechanized), 23rd Infantry
"Tomahawks," had set up a platoon laager and dismounted to check the area for
traces of the enemy.
"We found some trails and sleeping positions that were still incomplete,"
said First Lieutenant Steve Sarfati of Brooklyn, N.Y. "We were just completing
a sweep and were heading back to our armored personnel carriers when the enemy
opened up with at least two machine guns and three or four AK-47s. It was very
accurate sniper fire and definitely pinned us down."
As the Tropic Lightning troops began to return fire, drivers Private First
Class Carl Rector of Rock Hill, S.C., Specialist 4 L.C. Clemens of Fulton,
Miss., Specialist 4 James Love of Pomona Park, Fla., and Private First Class
Phil Gay of Lancaster, S.C., all sped their tracks to the contact. As they
approached, the enemy fire shifted to them.
"We pulled in front of our men who were pinned down," said Sergeant Dennis
Killean of Butler, Pa. "They got on and then we started pulling back."
Artillery and airstrikes pounded the enemy positions as the first and second
platoons of Alfa linked up with their third platoon.
The first and second platoon conducted a sweep while the third platoon stayed
behind for rear security.
In addition to the six enemy bodies, various enemy weapons were captured.

Cooperation Is
Key
Combined Operation WinsBy PFC FRANK H. SALERNO

CU CHI - Elements of the 25th Division recently
combined with Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), Regional and Popular
Forces in a search and cordon of Phu Hoa Dong village, about 20 miles northwest
of Saigon.
"Several choppers have received fire in this area lately," said Senior
Advisor Major David H. Williams, of Columbia, Mo. "That's the main reason for
this operation."
The operation began at four a.m. when the Villagers were alerted by
helicopter loudspeakers to stay in their homes until further notice.
Meanwhile, elements of the 25th Division's 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 22nd
Infantry, formed a blocking force with their armored personnel carriers and
surrounded the village.
Soon after, they moved towards the village, searching for enemy personnel,
tunnels, bunkers and signs of recent activity.
Two companies of the 3rd Battalion, 7th ARVN Regiment were air-lifted to
various spots in the area. Inside the village, 12 companies of Popular and
Regional Forces patrolled the streets checked identification cards.
A PSYOPS (Psychological Operations) team combed the village, using
interpreters to explain the operation and distributing Chieu Hoi ("Open Arms")
pamphlets.
"Our ultimate goal is to win the support and cooperation of the people," said
Specialist 4 Rodney Ewing, of Irving, Tex., a PSYOPS specialist.
When it was apparent that the enemy had cleared out, the combined force left
Phu Hoa Dong to the security of the Popular Forces.
"This mission showed how well the friendly forces are conducting operations
and that the villagers want to cooperate," Williams concluded.

FIRE IN THE HOLE! - First Lieutenant Verne P.
Seehausen (left) of Crown Point, Ind., a platoon leader with Charlie
Company, 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry, looks on as one of his "demo-men"
squeezes an electric detonator, setting off several mines inside an enemy
bunker. The Warriors are presently operating in the Trapezoid area, 12
miles northwest of Cu Chi Base Camp.

Three Sappers Sacked At
Mountain BunkersBy SGT TIM WHALEN

NUI BA DEN - Enemy sappers on top of Black
Virgin Mountain recently made the fatal mistake of trying to slip by the 25th
Infantry Division troops manning the bunker line there.
Sergeant David Quinones of Stockton, Calif., crawled out of the sack at four
a.m. for his turn on guard. Shortly after taking a position on top of his
bunker, Quinones spotted what he believed to be some figures stooping, 75 to 80
yards to his left front. Without hesitation, he opened up with an M-60 machine
gun and the figures disappeared in the heavy rock formations.
An instant after the burst from the M-60 Quinones popped a red star cluster
and at the same moment two other men from the next bunker were up and firing.
Specialist 4 Tom Muzik of Walled Lake, Mich., took over the M-60 while Quinones
grabbed the radio to report what he had seen.
Specialist 4 Lee Fioretto of Chicago, thumped the area with his M-79 grenade
launcher. Thinking Muzik and Quinones might need help, men from a
neighboring bunker ran over with a 90mm recoilless rifle and several rounds.
Specialist 4 Tom Langenburg, of Ray City, Mich., climbed to the top of the
bunker and splattered the area with the 90mm rounds.
A morning sweep revealed the bodies of three enemy and one dead field rat.

Sappers Halted

A week before the action at Nui Ba Den, five communist sappers were killed by
gunships, artillery and bunker guards as they tried to breach the wire of Tay
Ninh base camp during early morning hours. Two more of the insurgents were
captured.
The enemy attempted to repeat his assault tactics the next night and withdrew
under a barrage of small arms and automatic weapons fire from the Tay Ninh
bunker line.

RTO's Have Own LingoBy SP4 JEFF HINMAN

FSB KIEN - Have you ever talked to some guy who
has been an RTO (Radio-Telephone Operator) for most of his tour in Vietnam?
He talks as if you are a PRC-25 radio. It's "Roger" for "Yes," "Negative"
for "No" and "Most affirmative" for "Definitely" - his conversation is full of
RTO lingo.
One Radio-Telephone Operator in the 25th Division's 2nd Battalion, 12th
Infantry "Warriors," at Fire Support Base Kien, instead of saying "Good Night"
signs off with "Negative further, out."
It makes you wonder how them RTOs are going to talk when they get back to
"The World!"
Another Warrior RTO, Specialist 4 Bob Hengen of Akron, Ohio, experienced the
difficulty of having to speak "civilian" while on R&R with his wife in Hawaii.
"Every time someone asked me a question, I'd say `Roger' or 'Negative'," said
Hengen. "I finally managed to quit doing it after a few days."
"The biggest problem was handling civilian telephones," added Hengen. "One
time the hotel desk called our room. I picked up the phone and didn't know what
to do, because I didn't know my call sign. I had to let my wife handle the
call," Hengen recalled with a laugh.

Rallier Points Way
to Cache

CU CHI-Alfa Company, 2nd Battalion (Mech), 22nd
Infantry, used the services of a Hoi Chanh to discover a munitions cache five
miles north of Fire Support Base Devins, recently.
The day started routinely. Move out at daybreak on an eagle flight
operation, do your job and do it well. Only this time the rallier lead the way.
Platoon Sergeant James R. Bird of El Segundo, Calif., said "It was a routine
operation except the rallier led us to a trap door. I had PFC Andrew Wilda
Manitowoc, Wis. blow it open with his 60 machine gun."
Under the door, and in two other spots nearby, was a triple cache consisting
of 35 20lb. bags of rice, one AK-50, one SKS, two M-16s, one carbine rifle, four
122 rockets, four RPG rounds, 200 NVA ponchos, numerous home made booby-traps,
NVA web gear and supplies.
"In my three months in country this was the largest cache that my platoon has
found," Wilda said.

TAY NINH - More popular books than ever are
available at the 1st Brigade's library here. Not only do they have a large
collection of recent best sellers, but 3,500 fiction, non-fiction and reference
volumes.
Specialist 5 James Bayless of San Diego is the NCOIC of the library, which
was recently expanded when the 1st Infantry Division left Vietnam. "We
inherited a lot of books and even some furniture," Bayless said.
Books not on the shelves may be ordered through the inter-library loan
service. This means readers have access to books from over 40 libraries in
Vietnam. They may borrow books for up to two weeks.
The library subscribes to 120 popular magazines, from "Life" to "Playboy."
It also receives 16 major newspapers from back in the "world."
There is a film library also. Specialist 4 Robert Emmons of Winchester,
Mass., is in charge. There are always about 50 popular movies on hand. Seven
new ones come in every week and any company size unit can check one out
overnight.
The library is open from 0900 to 2100 hours seven days a week, and is located
in the 1st Brigade Headquarters area.
"Most guys come in here and expect to see the walls and shelves packed with
TMs, FMs and all kinds of other Army publications," Bayless said. "They're
usually pretty surprised to learn that this isn't that kind of library!"

Carelessness is a major factor in accidents involving injury and destruction
of property by fire.
Recently two men relaxed in a bunker after a hard day's work. One of the men
toyed with a hand-fired starcluster as he spoke of the events of the day with
his friend. The starcluster accidentally fired, striking the second man. It
ignited his clothes and the bunk upon which he was lying. Although he managed
to extinguish the fire which burned his clothes and his bedding, the fire spread
rapidly throughout the bunker.
In the end, the entire bunker burned to the ground and an entire basic load
of ammunition stored there, including a case of hand grenades, exploded. The
man who was hit by the star cluster suffered first degree burns.
In another recent incident, a man was detailed to burn mortar charges which
had accumulated from the previous day's firing. He threw a few of the charges
into a fire at the dump area.
Although he was familiar with the job, he decided to go against prior
instructions not to burn more than a couple charges at one time even if the
first few did not ignite.
He placed the remainder of the charges on the fire. As he turned to walk
away, all of the charges roared into flames. The man was burned on his back,
leg, arm and hand.
Playing with fire or objects which are likely to begin a fire unexpectedly is
a dangerous business.
DEROS safely. Do not play with fire. You may get burned.

Tropic Lightning TotsThe Commanding General Welcomes
The Following Tropic Lightning Tots
To The 25th Infantry Division  As
Reported By The American Red Cross.
Born To:

The TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS is an authorized publication of the 25th
Infantry Division. It is published weekly for all division units in the Republic of
Vietnam by the Information Office, 25th Infantry Division, APO San Francisco
96225. Army News Features, Army Photo Features, Armed Forces Press Service and Armed
Forces News Bureau material are used. Views and opinions expressed are not necessarily
those of the Department of the Army. Printed in Tokyo, Japan, by Pacific Stars and
Stripes.

FSB KIEN - "Baked while you sleep" is the
eye-catching slogan of a popular bakery in the United States.
In Vietnam, the 25th Division's Artillerymen are doing a little Late-Night
Cooking, too. The 25th Division's A Battery, 7th Battalion, 11th Artillery is
typical of most arty units. The men's days are spent building bunkers and
filling sandbags while their nights consist of fire missions, broken up
occasionally by an hour or two for sleep.
The "On Time" cannoneers from A Battery start preparing for the night's
missions late in the afternoon when they "lay the guns" so that all tubes point
magnetic north.
When the initial request for a fire mission comes in, it is taken by the Fire
Direction Center who, after plotting the target on a map, relays a set of
numbers to the guns - lining them up on target.
The busy FDC facility also has the responsibility of obtaining air clearance
to shoot. If there is excessive air traffic or friendly troops in the target
area, the fire mission is cancelled.
Sections get the call for a mission over a phone located near the gun. Crew
members take turns pulling two hour guard shifts each night, waiting for the
call and then waking up the rest of the crew when it comes.
Not all fire missions are called in on known enemy positions. Firing at
suspected enemy concentrations, according to one artilleryman "keeps Charlie on
his toes."
With such a schedule, sleep is at a premium. According to Sergeant Jerry
Hopson, an Alfa Battery section chief, "We get four and a half to five hours
sleep each night.
Asked when fire missions are most frequent, one knowing gunner grinned,
"Usually just before or just after you pull guard."
Despite the amount of nighttime action artillerymen see, their days are no
different than anyone else's. Dawn to dusk is occupied with the never-ending
jobs of bunker building, cleaning the guns, breaking out new ammo, and getting
ready for another night of cooking things up for Charlie.

Provides Change of
Pace Regulars Enjoy Field
Day FunBy SGT TIM WHALEN

TAY NINH - For one sweet day, the war really did
fade away for the Regulars of the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry.
It was just like a scout jamboree . . , or maybe the annual July Fourth
family picnic. It was officially called a "Field Day" and that's exactly what
it was for the war-weary infantrymen.
The Regulars started the day off with reveille. Representatives from each
company leaped out of their bunks, pulled on their boots and started folding
hospital corners with the sheets.
The men were timed on all the events.
The events were designed to be fun. Some were designed to be sort of a test
of the men's abilities as they are used every day in the field. Some of the
events were map reading, radio procedures, and mortar tube relays.
Dart throwing, volleyball, and horse shoes contests also drew fierce
competition among the companies.
The Field Day was highlighted by a country style bar-b-que. Chicken and a
trailer full of beer added to the men's incentive to win. But the real
incentive was an extra two-day stand-down for the winning company.
The day was termed a tremendous success by the men and their officers. It
was a fun day, and a very welcome change of pace from their usual routine of
humping the boonies.

Golden Dragon
Wears Buck Owens' Old CoatBy SP4 GREG STANMAR

CU CHI - The Department of the Army has denied
rumors that it is considering a new uniform for its troops which would consist
of a red jacket and matching pants with white trim and rhinestones liberally
spread over the costume.
But Specialist 4 Jim Anderson of Clarion, Iowa, who has such a uniform has no
intention of trying to persuade the Army to adopt it. "After all", points out
one of Anderson's friends in the 25th Division's 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry,
"Jim's suit doesn't even match the color of the Army issue flak jacket."
Anderson isn't complaining however. First of all, the jacket was worn by
Buck Owens during his performance at Carnegie Hall. And besides, it didn't cost
Jim anything but the time it took to name the five songs played by AFVN
(American Forces Vietnam Network) in a contest sponsored by the United Services
Organization.
"I knew all the songs and figured I might as well enter," he said. "Next
thing I knew they told me that I won."
Owens has produced several country and western hits, among them "I've Got A
Tiger By The Tail".
"He's terrific," continued Anderson, "But I probably won't ever wear the
costume. I'll just keep it for a souvenir."
Anderson, a driver for the 2nd of the 14th `Golden Dragons', said he plans to
start a country and western band of his own when he gets out of the Army.
"But", he concluded, "I don't think I'd ever have the guts to wear Buck Owens
clothes in that band."

CLEANUP - The morning after a fire mission,
Specialist 4 Robert Perry (left) and Private First Class Bernard Williams
clean their section's 105mm howitzer. The two Redlegs are members of the
7th Battalion, 11th Artillery's Alfa Battery at Fire Support Base Kien.

Brothers Put 'Hurt' on
Arty Repairs TeamBy SP4 DOUG SAINSBURY

CU CHI - "It only 'Hurts' for a little while."
The adage has been used countless times to express the nature of a particular
situation. It recently had singular meaning for Specialist 4 Roger Hurt of Rock
Island, Ill., the operator of 2nd Battalion, 77th Artillery's Five-Ton Wrecker.
"I arrived in Vietnam in late July while my younger brother Gale was in AIT
at Ft. Ord., Calif.," said Roger. "After talking to several people and checking
the regs, it finally turned out that he (Gale) came to the 25th Infantry
Division and was assigned to our unit."
"I didn't know if I had much of a chance to get into 2/77 when I volunteered
for Nam, but I was hoping I would get into it," said Gale who is Private First
Class.
Things turned out well, though. Gale arrived at Headquarters, 2/77 in
January and started on the job training in the Battalion Maintenance section as
a mechanic and welder.
"When we both have time, I give him a little OJT on the Wrecker, too," said
Rog. "But he doesn't really need it, because we both had a lot of experience
operating wreckers before we came into the Army."
Rog is scheduled to DEROS in late July, but may decide to extend for the 150
day early out.
"People often wonder if we are twins," said Gale. "I guess we do look a lot
alike, but Rog is several inches taller."
So now at 2/77 it doesn't `Hurt' anymore, brother!

Sarge Saves InjuredBy SGT BILL OBERHOLZER

TAY NINH - Safe positions in a firefight are
normally quite scarce. But Staff Sergeant Kim Fisher of Salt Lake City, Utah, a
platoon sergeant for Charlie Company 4th Battalion (Mech) 23rd Infantry
Tomahawks, took shelter in a bomb crater in the shadows of Nui Ba Den during a
heavy firefight with NVA soldiers.
But, as soon as Fisher arrived in his position a call for help came from a
wounded soldier 90 meters away. Fisher crawled out of the crater, across open
terrain to the wounded man's position. Rounds were hitting all around as Fisher
dragged the man back to the crater.
Specialist 4 Guy Taylor of Calico Rock, Ark., a medic, joined them to
administer first aid. While they were working a 60mm mortar round landed within
inches of Fisher's foot, but did not detonate. They continued until armored
personnel carriers could come forward to evacuate the wounded man.

Chief Of Chaplains
Dedicates FB ChapelBy SP4 GARY SCIORTINO

FSB RAWLINS - The U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains
(Major General) Francis L. Sampson, touring the Republic of Vietnam, dedicated a
chapel at the 25th Infantry Division's Fire Support Base Rawlins here recently.
He later spoke to approximately 50 chaplains at the 25th Infantry Division's
Chaplain Training Conference in Tay Ninh.
Chaplain Sampson cut the ribbon at the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry's
Tomahawk Memorial Chapel, after which he spoke to the troops. The chapel has
been dedicated to Lieutenant Colonel A. C. Butler, a former Tomahawk battalion
commander who was killed in action on March 22, 1969.
The men of the battalion, now under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James
E. Coggins, built the chapel by themselves. The chapel, designed by Chaplain
(Major) John A. Rakestraw, was built by the Tomahawks under the guidance of
Command Sergeant Major James J. Gallagher and Sergeant Major Elden Johnston.
Chaplain Sampson told the Tomahawks that they may never again have the same
feeling of oneness under God that they had accomplished in Vietnam.
Later, while speaking at the chaplains' training conference, he told the
chaplains that few of them "would have to build their own chapels at home
through their own hard work and with such all-out support of the parishioners.
This trip to Vietnam is most satisfying for me, because this is a place where an
ordinary chaplain can become an ideal chaplain as a result of the hardship
situations with which he must contend," he said.
"This could be the pivotal year of your ministry," he told the chaplains.
"You will find satisfaction in your work without all the artificialities that
clutter up religion in civilian life. It's simply you - the chaplains - and the
men."

"I GET BY with a little help from my friends,"
says Specialist 4 Mike Orwig of Whittier, Calif., as Kit Carson Scout Tong
lifts a field pack onto his ally's back. They were preparing for a
three-day mission with the Recon Platoon of the 1st Battalion (Mech), 5th
Infantry.

Page 4-5
TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS
April 20, 1970

READY - Specialist 4 Richard Nast of
Marionette, Wis., a medic with Bravo Company, Second Wolfhounds, and the
company Kit Carson Scout, Kahn, watch air strikes on enemy positions.

In some of the heaviest fighting in the 25th Infantry Division in several
months, units of the 3rd Brigade combined to kill 93 NVA northwest of Go Dau Ha
recently.
The four-day operation took place in the Renegade Woods near Patrol Base
Blue.
Charlie, Alfa and Bravo companies of 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Wolfhounds
supported by 2nd Battalion (Mech), 22nd Infantry companies established numerous
contacts with an estimated battalion-sized enemy force. The ground troops were
supported by artillery, air strikes and helicopter gunships continuously.
"They were well-trained," said Charlie Company Private First Class Bobby
Fleming of Cochran, Ga. "They tried to stop our machine guns instead of just
running away."
Thick woods and heavy foliage made operations difficult. The enemy tunnels
and bunker complexes were deep and well-fortified.
U.S. casualties were listed as light.

Story
by SP4 RICH DOMBROWICKI
Photos by PFC ROBB LATO

PROBE - A former 1st Infantry Division soldier
reassigned to the 25th's 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Wolfhounds,
cautiously probes an NVA bunker during a four-day operation in the
Renegade Woods.

CU CHI - A new, mobile dental van which will
enable all 25th Infantry Division fire base personnel to receive routine and
emergency treatment is now in operation.
The facility, a converted shop van mounted on a deuce and a half, is a
product of the combined talents of the 40th Medical Detachment aid the 725th
Maintenance Battalion.
"The job was unusual," said Specialist 5 Mark W. Miller, Milwaukee, of
725th. "But the work itself wasn't difficult," he added modestly.
Many modifications were made, including connecting air hoses from an outside
compressor to the inside dental unit and installing an air conditioner.
Fluorescent lighting and fresh paint, which contribute to brightness for better
visibility, were other important steps taken. And, all of the equipment had to
be bolted down.
"The 725th did a tremendous job in getting the clinic ready," said Colonel
Donald R. Nelson, project officer and Executive Officer of the 40th Med. "It
was a real problem converting a shop van into something it was never intended
for."
The clinic-on-wheels features a portable air compressor and a mobile dental
unit, both specially designed for field use. The air conditioning, besides
adding to comfort, enables the doors to be closed and thus keep out dust.
"Our biggest problem was finding materials, although everything came from Cu
Chi sources," Nelson, of Evansville, Ind., said in referring to the 40th Med.
All functions of a regular clinic are available, except for x-raying and
denture work. Routine treatments such as fillings, extractions, cleanings and
self-applied fluoride brushings are most common. Minor surgery using local
anesthetics can also be performed.
"The staff of one officer and a dental assistant-hygienist will have a lot of
work to do," Nelson added. A previous clinic averaged 1,200-1,500 patients per
month.

Vietnam Orphan Is
'Hound Puppy'By PFC ROBB LATO

CU CHI - "A Wolfhound he isn't, but I guess not
every company has a Wolfpuppy to look after," said First Lieutenant Mike Conner
of Buffalo, N.Y., referring to Minh, the eight year old Vietnamese boy adopted
by Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry 'Wolfhound' mortar platoon.
"While our company was at Phuoc Luu," explained Private First Class Jack
Folsom of New Underwood, S.D., "Minh told us that his mother and father had been
killed by the VC. After we saw the sadness and sorrow on his face we decided to
make him a junior Wolfhound."
One problem the platoon faced was finding clothes for Minh. The men finally
decided that the best way to get clothing was by asking for help from their
families and friends in the states.
"The folks back home have really been great," Specialist 4 Larry Smith of
Blountsville, Ala., said. "Minh now dresses like most kids in America. He's
got gym shoes, blue jeans and plenty of tee shirts."
Minh spends most of the day helping the Hounds pass time. He plays games and
occasionally works with the men on some of their lighter duties.
"When the platoon moves back to Cu Chi base camp, we plan to enroll Minh in
school," said Staff Sergeant Roy Collins of Decatur, Ga.
Yet, Minh already speaks English very well.
"As a rule, the mortar platoon does not have a Kit Carson scout. Since the
rest of Delta Company stays in the village, a lot of ralliers come to our
compound outside the village," said Conner. "That's when Minh helps us out as
an interpreter."

Mysterious Dish Remains Secret

CU CHI - Army cooks have often been on the
receiving end of sharp remarks by their fellow soldiers. Most take it as part
of their job, but one recently had a comeback that deserves to be recorded.
As the men of Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, were filling in for the noon
meal, everyone noticed a mysterious delicacy in one of the serving pans.
"I'd be afraid to ask what that is," cracked one G.I. at the head of the
line.
"I'd be afraid to tell you," replied the cook.

Cache Uncovered

PB HARRIS - The day started as a drag but ended
up as a haul for Alpha Company, 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry, and the 2d
Battalion (Mech), 22 Infantry, on a land clearing operation. They uncovered a
large enemy mortar and rifle grenade cache one mile northeast of Patrol Base
Harris.
The land clearing operation was a joint effort to clear the area around
Harris of booby traps and thick vegetation. A chain was stretched between two
APCs, dragged along the ground to blow the booby traps and tear down hedgerows.
Found in the cache were 108 rifle grenades, 85 60mm mortar rounds, one case
of AK-47 ammunition, four 30-pound Chicom claymore mines.
Also in the find were five bags of TNT, three unset mackerel can booby traps,
two shovels and one can of cooking oil. There were documents and pictures
located inside a nearby hootch, all in good condition.

DEAR SGT CERTAIN: Through a teen magazine penpal
system I was corresponding with a gorgeous 23-year-old debutante from New York
City. After several letters we decided that we were meant for each other, and I
sent her an engagement ring. I now find out she is fifteen, from Brooklyn, has
buck teeth and she had sent me an old picture of her mother. What should I do?HOOKED

DEAR HOOKED: Cancel the engagement.

DEAR SGT CERTAIN: who we all admire,
your column lights my heart on fire.
Such clever wit, such touching prose.
Who'd think you're dressed in O.D. clothes.
Out in the field we labor long
But harken to your cheerful song.
The week drags on until when
We get our tattered TLN
There your column lies with grace.
putting a smile on each saddened face.
Some people idolize Denny McLain,
Joe Namath or Richard Burton.
Not me, My hero is SGT Certain.
A FAN

DEAR FAN: I thank you truly, but
What are you, some kind of nut?

DEAR SGT CERTAIN: Next week is my kid brother's
birthday and I promised him an authentic souvenir of Vietnam. Unfortunately
it's the end of the month and I have no bread. What can I send him?DUTIFUL SIBLING

DEAR DUTIFUL: You can send him a copy of the
TROPIC LIGHTING NEWS with directions for folding it into a coolie hat.

Page 7
TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS
April 20, 1970

IT MAY BE "after hours," but men from the
hospital staff are on the job as they wait with hospital litters for a
dustoff helicopter that is about to land.

Speed, Skill and
Care a Must At Tropic Lightning's MUSTBy 1LT ROBERT E. GOLDEN

TAY NINH - "MAS-CAL!" With this word, people at
the 25th Division's 45th Surgical Hospital begin to move.
On a recent Sunday night when the call was sounded doctors and nurses
converged on the pre-op (pre-operative) ward and prepared all the equipment they
would need. Everyone else headed towards the breezeway in front to man the
litters when the dust-off choppers, bearing 15 casualties, came in.
The 45th Surg is a "MUST" facility. MUST means Medical Unit ,
Self-contained, Transportable - in other words, a portable hospital.
The "heart" of the hospital consists of five large inflatable "bubbles", six
expandable steel buildings (each one is about three times the size of a conex)
and five utility packs that provide all the air conditioning, heat, water and
power for the entire hospital.
The MUST hospital is a new concept and has replaced the MASH concept
(Military Army Surgical Hospital). The 45th Surg, now commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel George M. Pomerants, opened in November 1966, and was the first
MUST-type hospital in Vietnam.
As in any other hospital, the men and women of the 45th are on call 24 hours
a day. It has to be that way, since most of the "crises" occur after normal
duty hours.
"We usually have our MASCALS between 1800 and 1900 hours or between five and
seven in the morning," said Major John J. Candelaria, hospital Executive
Officer.
When dustoff ships arrive at the hospital's chopper pad, patients are hurried
into the preop ward for immediate emergency treatment. In the process known as
`triage' (French for `to separate'), all wounded soldiers are categorized as a
team of doctors carefully examines each man and decides whether he is to remain
at the hospital for treatment, whether he can be released or whether he is to be
further evacuated.
Patients designated to stay are prepared for surgery in one of the three
surgical suites. Patients needing further evacuation are quickly loaded onto
waiting choppers that take them to either of Long Binh's evacuation hospitals,
the 25th or 93rd.
According to Captain George J. Wright, Adjutant, the MUST hospital is still
in the experimental stages.
"We feel the 45th Surg serves a very important and useful purpose for the men
out in the field," Wright explained. "We're the middle man between the medic
out in the boonies and the evacuation hospitals in Cu Chi and Long Binh.
There's no doubt that we've saved many lives here during our existence. I think
that justifies our being here."
You might say that the best of care is a must at the 25th Division's MUST.

SPECIALIST 5 Stanley W. Behner (center) helps
lift a litter patient on to a chopper for further evacuation.

A PATIENT, after receiving emergency life-saving
treatment at the 45th Surgical hospital, is carried to a waiting Medevac
chopper that will take him to an evacuation hospital in Cu Chi or Saigon.

CU CHI - The Maginot Line will live again - this
time in Vietnam. The 25th Division's 65th Engineer Battalion is constructing a
defensive system reminiscent of the famed French barrier, on this base camp
perimeter.
However, the Cu Chi version of the Line won't be outflanked by a blitzkrieg
of planes and armor.
Under the direction of the "Whiskey Fifth" Engineers, many bunkers which were
constructed during the 25th Infantry Division's first few months in Cu Chi have
been torn down and are being replaced.
Outside the wire, grass and underbrush were burned while bulldozers and
graders leveled the area to provide better fields of fire. Aging barbed wire
was replaced.
The new bunkers the engineers are building should be a guard's delight when
the rainy season arrives. The bunkers are built above ground on concrete
platforms. They are roomy inside with a covered observation platform on top.
According to Platoon Sergeant Tommy Alexander of Hartselle, Ala., a Bravo
Company Engineer who is NCOIC of the bunker construction, the new bunkers are
capable of withstanding a direct hit from an RPG round.
When the project is completed there will be a total of 55 new bunkers on the
perimeter. In addition, smaller firing positions are being built between
bunkers for the use of reinforcements if that should become necessary.
According to one of the engineers, manned by crack guards, the new "Maginot
Line" will put a lock on Cu Chi that will stop any sapper.

Rifles, Bobcats Team
Flush, Kill Seven NVABy SGT DAN DELANEY

TAY NINH - Seven enemy soldiers died in their
own bunkers during a recent clash with Tropic Lightning troops 10 miles west of
Dau Tieng.
After climbing for an hour up the side of one of the Razorback mountains,
members of the Division's Lancer Rifles (formerly the Minicav) found the enemy
bunker they had been sent in to locate.
Looking down into one of the bunkers, Specialist 4 Randy Marino of Oakland,
Calif., saw "one of the enemy looking right back up at me." Both reacted
immediately. The NVA soldier had an American M-60 machinegun and didn't waste
any time putting it to use. He wounded one American and the accompanying Kit
Carson Scout.
Marino dodged, then threw a grenade. The NVA threw it right back, and a
small piece of shrapnel nicked the lieutenant commanding the platoon. More
grenades were thrown by Marino's buddies.
The Tropic Lightning troops found that their radio had been damaged, so they
flagged down a Charlie model gunship which evacuated the wounded men in its ammo
well.
Meanwhile, elements of the 25th Division's 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th
Infantry moved in on the bunker complex. Seven enemy were killed as the 1/5th
bored in on the Communists.

SCANNING THE AREA for enemy activity at Fire
Support Base Devins is Specialist 4 Stephen Belus of Girard, Ohio, a
member of the 2nd Battalion (Mech), 22nd Infantry.
(Photo by SP4 Henry G. Zukowski)

Hatchet's Buried Big Horn Foes Fight
TogetherBy SP4 RICH DOMBROWICKI

CU CHI - George Custer and Crazy Horse in
Vietnam? Almost, but not quite.
At the Battle of the Little Big Horn Sioux Indians led by Chief Crazy Horse
met the 7th U.S. Cavalry of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in one of
the most famous battles in American history.
Almost 100 years later, and half-way around the world with the 25th Infantry
Division, descendants of both those great Americans are once again engaged in
combat. Only this time they are fighting Communists, rather than each other.
Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer of DuPont, Wash., is commanding
officer of the 25th Division's 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry.
Private First Class James Franklin, a full-blooded Sioux from Rapid City,
S.C., is wearing his war paint with B Battery, 3rd Battalion, 13th Artillery.
Recently Chasing Horse's battery supported elements of Custer's battalion
during a mission near here.
Does the Little Big Horn ever cross his mind? "It doesn't make any
difference to me," said Chasing Horse. "It's all in the past."
The young Indian, a draftee, had been living on the White River Sioux
Reservation in South Dakota before entering the Army last year. He doesn't mind
serving his country so far from home.
"My father is real patriotic. He was an artilleryman during World War II.
Like father like son, I guess," he chuckled.
That would be an understatement for Colonel Custer. He is maintaining the
military tradition in his family passed on from father to son for over a
century.
For Custer and Chasing Horse, the hatchet has been buried a long time. Now
they are working together to see that the Communists suffer a Little Big Horn
defeat in every battle.

TOMAHAWKS of the 4th Battalion (Mech), 23rd
Infantry, stationed at Fire Support Base Rawlins wait in line outside a
portable PX truck. The truck visits outposts near Toy Ninh City each week
bringing necessities and luxuries to the men in the field.
(Photo by SP4 Robert C. Caplan)

Tomahawk Puppy Studies
PersonnelBy SGT BILL OBERHOLZER

TAY NINH - Upset by the discrimination against Vietnamese dogs for use as
scouts, Tropic Lightning men of the 4th Battalion (Mechanized), 23rd Infantry
adopted a brindle-colored "man's best friend" whom they affectionately call "Hoche."
The men of the battalion's personnel office, who care for Hoche maintain that
he is as well-trained as any scout dog. One 4/23rd "Tomahawk" even claimed that
Hoche "is more crucial to our morale than any scout dog could ever be."
His main task, according to one personnel specialist, is to make sure that
tempers never rise. He sits in front of the Personnel shop - sometimes under
the shop, when the sun is too hot - and watches to make sure that all the
business that transpires is carried out in a friendly manner.
When it's time for chow, just in case any Tomahawks have forgotten where the
mess hall is, he springs to his paws and immediately assumes the "point
position".
As his human friends are enjoying the delights of the mess hall, Hoche sits
patiently, guarding the building, meanwhile helping himself to the better
pickings of the garbage.
He won't eat too much of this because he knows his hard day's work will be
rewarded at night with his favorite food - sardines and crackers.
At dusk, Hoche assumes his guard position on the Personnel bunker. Nothing
can get him away from his sentry post, except maybe a little rain or a good
movie.
Nevertheless, Hoche is an institution. Some say he was here even before Bob
Hope was. Yet he carries out his duties efficiently and has gained the respect
of the men and other dogs in the Tomahawks Battalion.

Border Bush Stops
Six NVA

GO DAU HA - A night ambush of the 25th Division's 2nd Battalion, 14th
Infantry, designed to prevent NVA crossing the Cambodian border, recently halted
six enemy soldiers - permanently.
Bravo Company of the "Golden Dragons" set up their night vigil between the
Cambodian border and the Oriental River, several miles southwest of here. Soon
after, a sizeable force of NVA was spotted heading toward the patrol.
When the enemy was within range the company opened up with organic weapons,
leaving six Communists dead and the rest running for their lives.
Bravo Company's casualties were described as "light."